College standouts return home amid pandemic

By Jose Negron

jnegron@yourmvi.com

Koby Bubash didn’t anticipate having to return home to Monongahela so soon. 

Instead, the Slippery Rock University freshman expected to enjoy his first year of collegiate baseball while playing a significant role for The Rock. He played in six of the team’s 10 games before the spring season was canceled March 12 due to concerns over COVID-19. 

“My teammates and I found out through our head coach (Jeff Messer). We had a meeting and he told us, and it was pretty upsetting,” said Bubash, a 2019 Ringgold graduate. “It was upsetting mostly because of how close I’ve gotten with the seniors on our team. Seeing them have their senior year taken away from them was sad to see.” 

Before the spring season came to a premature end, Bubash was experiencing early success. 

He hit a team-leading .429 (6 for 14) with three doubles, three RBIs and six runs scored. He also walked three times and swiped a base. In his final start on March 11 against Kutztown, Bubash finished with a 3 for 3 performance. 

“As a freshman getting the playing time I was receiving, it was very humbling knowing that this is what I have worked for,” Bubash said. “We, as a team, had a great atmosphere and we all worked hard over the fall and winter. It was definitely a little overwhelming at first, starting as a freshman, but I got used to it pretty quickly.”

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